Synopsis

Navajo Math Circles follows Native American students in a lively collaboration with mathematicians.

Using a model called math circles, the students assemble over the summer at a college in Tsaile, Arizona, to study mathematics. This approach emphasizes student-centered learning by putting children in charge of exploring mathematics to their own joy and satisfaction.

The documentary reveals the challenges in education on the Navajo Nation, the second-largest federally recognized tribe in the U.S. The Navajo Math Circles project summons applications of math in Native culture to provide tools for increasing math literacy, and highlights the special connections between Navajo culture, natural beauty, and mathematics.

The film shows how math circles help raise the hopes of parents, students, and teachers for a brighter future.

Awards

One Nation Film Festival 2016, Colorado, USA
Biennial Vision Maker Film Festival, 2016, Nebraska, USA
Laughlin International Film Festival 2016, Nevada, USA